ISLAMABAD: Vice Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Liaqat Baloch on Tuesday stressed the need for a clear, vibrant and credible national state policy on Kashmir, calling for strengthening Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as the true base camp of the Kashmir freedom movement and ending interference from Islamabad and Rawalpindi in its affairs.

Addressing an All Parties Solidarity Kashmir Conference organised by Jamaat-i-Islami Islamabad, Mr Baloch said no message of Pakistan’s disloyalty should reach Srinagar. “The leadership of Azad Kashmir must be empowered, and the base camp must function independently and meaningfully,” he asserted.

Referring to the internal situation of the country, Baloch said Pakistan was gripped by a deepening political crisis and the hybrid system had failed to deliver.

He urged political forces to pull politics out of a dead end without seeking alms from the establishment, emphasizing that political problems required political solutions.

Highlighting the historical role of Jamaat-i-Islami, Baloch said whenever Feb 5 was mentioned, the name of Qazi Hussain Ahmed would inevitably come up. He recalled that following meetings between Jamaat-i-Islami and the government, February 5 was declared as Kashmir Solidarity Day, with the first observance held in 1990. He said freedom movements take time but never die, citing India’s independence after 90 years of colonial rule and the Palestinian struggle continuing for over a century.

“Kashmir’s freedom is not dependent on a few constitutional articles. India cannot suppress the Kashmiri aspiration for freedom, nor can any government in Pakistan afford to ignore the Kashmir issue,” he said, adding that the Kashmiri struggle was backed by UN resolutions and could not be defeated through propaganda.

Liaqat Baloch called for unity within the Muslim world and urged Muslim countries to resolve their issues independently. He referred to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years and said events like Operation Al-Aqsa Storm had once again brought the Palestinian issue to global attention.

“Similarly, the sacrifices of Kashmiris will not go in vain. India must change its mindset on Kashmir, and Pakistan must adopt an unequivocal stance,” he added.

Criticizing instability in AJK, he said five prime ministers had been changed in five years, questioning the credibility of the base camp under such circumstances.

He warned that betraying Palestine under the guise of peace initiatives would harm Pakistan and its armed forces, stressing that state power alone could not ensure sustainable governance. He urged the public to make February 5 a historic day by coming out in large numbers to express solidarity with Kashmiris.

Referring to Balochistan, Baloch said the situation had once again become alarming and called for an All Parties Conference and the implementation of a National Action Plan-style framework. He urged the prime minister and army chief to recognize that authority could not be sustained through coercion alone.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the people of occupied Kashmir were making immense sacrifices, but shortcomings lay on Pakistan’s side.

He regretted that Azad Kashmir, meant to be a base camp, had been turned into a political battleground, leading to growing alienation among its people.

He warned that internal disputes in Pakistan could overshadow the Kashmir issue if it was not actively kept alive. Abbasi termed India’s August 2019 move as the biggest hostile action since 1947 and stressed that keeping the Kashmir issue alive was a national responsibility.

“The Kashmiri struggle is one of the longest freedom movements in the world. The people of Kashmir remain steadfast; the complacency is on our side,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2026